musicfrommyheart

Wow, I have to say that I'm so relieved to see this post. I'm not even sure what to do anymore. I was banded last March, lost about 30 pounds before the surgery and another 20 after the surgery but I had the weirdest issue with gas (and still do). For me, I always get severely bloated if I DON'T eat. It drives me crazy. The only way that my stomach can feel better is after I eat. Sometimes, if I wait to long to eat, my stomach gets so bloated and gassy, I can't even stand up straight. I went to the doctor, and they did the GI test and discovered that my band was working properly and that I had no other issues, but still the gas hasn't gone away. I've gained almost all of my weight back and am very disappointed in my band. I'm almost ready to just have the thing taken out and go back to square one. If I continue to have this gas issue, I'm going to go to the doctor one more time, and then I'm going to look into alternatives. I can't take it anymore.

Awwww, thanks Mom! I'm glad to see that you are posting and getting familiar with this site. It has been so much help to me! :smile2:. Love you! -music

I also wanted to say, don't forget that muscle weighs more than fat. I would ask, how are your clothes feeling? Are you still getting smaller in size? Generally when you are working out like you should you are also building muscle and toning up, so you might be having more muscle mass, which would make it true, you aren't losing pounds, but you are probably still slimming down. I hope this helps and that you feel better. You still made the incredible decision to have this surgery and to take 50+ pounds off of your body. Congratulations! -music

Wow, I am so glad to read these posts, lol. When I first starting working on getting my surgery done, I refused to get on the scale. I think I even threw mine away cause I can't find it now and will have to buy another one. I thought that by not getting on the scale, I could hold myself accountable by keeping my eating in check and weighing in at the Bariatric center. My surgery date is March 30th, but I've been slipping recently and haven't been keeping to my diet program. So, I've decided to buy a scale and get back on track monitoring my progress. I definitely do not want to get to my surgery date and not be able to get my band .

Hey Sonipez, I had an appointment with Dr. Schneider, he was so nice and patient with me that I decided to choose him. I'm really glad I did. I know that people like Dr. Jones, but since I hadn't met Dr. Schneider yet, I wanted to wait and see what he was like. My surgery is on March 30th, I can't wait. How are you doin?

I actually didn't see anything offensive to me personally in those photos. I think that all of us who are fuller figured have been ignored for way too long in the media and that America (or even the whole world) needs to get a good look at what obesity looks like. And also get a good look at what someone who's "different" from you looks like. Perhaps by doing so, we can love a little more, and learn a little more about others. That being said, I do agree that were I to take photos like this of myself (with no Spanx on, or naked) I would not find it attractive at all. Seeing the effects of years of misuse on my body does not make me proud. As a plus-sized model, I've struggled with this issue. How can I portray myself as beautiful and confident, knowing that I wasn't taking the best care of myself? But also, how can I encourage other women who have low self-esteem like I did, how to love themselves, right where they are, so that they can treat themselves better? I appreciate your post. I think the issue of larger people in the media and whether it promotes or denotes obesity is a real one, and one that we should look at very carefully. Especially as we are looking to have this surgery, to give ourselves the gift of better health. -music

Hi Lips You should check out the thread "I have failed my band", not to say that you have, but there's a whole host of people on there who are trying to get themselves back on track. Hope this helps -music

Hey PVTash, I agree with you. We've gotta do this for US, not for anyone else. I always notice when I start paying attention to everyone else and stop paying attention to myself, that's the moment when my weight starts getting out of wack. I am really looking forward to this whole process. Take care, Music

Omg, all of these stories are hilarious! I haven't been banded yet, but I remember once when I was getting my wisdom teeth taken out. They had given me the laughing gas, and they were putting an IV in my hand so that they could give me the anesthetic. I remember watching them stick a needle in my hand (GROSS), and slurring my speech, telling the Doctor "you'd better be glad you gave me that laughing gas, otherwise I'd kick your ass for stickin that needle in my hand". lol

I hear you, Sherry. How are you feeling? Are you healing well?

Hey Singingintherain! Aw, I'm sorry we missed each other. I kept thinking I should email you sooner so that we could connect before the night of the meeting, but it kept slipping my mind. I do plan on attending the info session on the 22nd, so that I can see Dr. Schneider in action. I'm hoping that will help me make my decision on which surgeon I'd like to choose. I know that you're partial to BWH, but if you'd like to connect and just keep talking through this, I'd love it. I had my series of appointments today at BIDMC with the nutritionist, Dr. H, my echo, my abdominal ultrasound and I'm happy to say that everything went really smoothly. In fact, I've already lost 5 pounds even before I saw the nutritionist! I think it's the idea of knowing that I've finally made a decision to seek help. That has really motivated me. How are you doing? Are you having a good week? Talk with you soon. Oh, and hello Everyone! -music [link=http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/wV7NDZi/] [image noborder]http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/wV7NDZi/weight.png[/image]

Hey Good Luck on your surgery! I'm sure you will do really well. My goodness, everything on your list (minus the hubby and kid, *sigh*) is the same reason I'm doing this surgery. I wish you the best of luck . -music

I hear you, Sherry. I was looking at some pics the other day of myself before, when I'd done the Master Cleanse for 40 days. I remember feeling so healthy, I thought "well, what happened?". But I read this great quote that Oprah wrote: "Here's another thing this past year has been trying to teach me: I don't have a weight problem—I have a self-care problem that manifests through weight. As my friend Marianne Williamson shared with me, "Your overweight self doesn't stand before you craving food. She's craving love." Falling off the wagon isn't a weight issue; it's a love issue." And you know, I thought to myself, "Wow, that is so true!" A lot of my issues are less about my actual weight and more about how I take care of myself all around. -music

If you'd like, we can meet a little bit before then for coffee. I'll be checking my email until I leave work at 5p, hope you get this message :thumbs_up:. -music

Singin in the rain, I'm trying to decide if I'm going to the info session at BIDMC tonight. Will you be there? Let me know. -music

Oh my gosh, Sherry you look wonderful! I know it's been a difficult journey, but you look amazing. Congratulations on everything so far :thumbup:. -music

Thanks Sherry! For some reason, I can never see people's photo albums when I click on their profiles. I can only see them if I follow a link or if I look in the huge before and after forums. I wonder if I'm doing something wrong, I couldn't see your pics. At any rate, thanks for your response. I, too, feel really comfortable with BIDMC so far. -music

Hey SherryW, Just wanted to wish you a happy new year . I hope that you are healing well and feeling better. Sherry, do you have any before and after pics? I tried to look at an old thread to see the link that you'd posted a long time ago, but so many other people had posted since then, I couldn't find yours. -music

Hey Singin , I know what you mean about BWH. I worked there for many years. I did find the staff in the weight loss clinic weren't as nice as BIDMC, but that could've just been one bad experience and not the whole team. So far, BIDMC seems to have a great post-op process. In one info session, a large group of post-ops came in at the end and spent a lot of time just talking about their experiences (they meet often right in the area where the info sessions are held) and answering questions. It was great to pick their brains and hear about everything from their decisions to have the bypass, or the lap band to excess skin and how they dealt with cosmetic surgery. I agree with you about choosing the Band over GBP. I for one, just would prefer to have all of my organs in one piece. I do think it's a great surgery and it works well for people. But I have a hard enough time electing to have surgery on my body at all, let alone to have irreversible surgery. I am hopeful that, with the band and the BIDMC team, I can help conquer my weight issues without having GB surgery. Some of my friends who have the sleeve or the bypass feel the exact opposite. They feel like it wasn't UNTIL they had GB surgery, that they started feeling like things turned around for them, so *shrug* it truly is a personal decision. I like the Lap Bands slow weight loss. I like hoping that the slow weight loss will help me not have to deal with so much excess skin. I looked at my puffy stomach and tried to imagine all the fat gone, but the skin still left. That was a hard thing to picture, lol. Oh, and one more thing! Yes, they do provide you with a nutritionist. In fact, the same day next Tuesday, when I have the echo and meet with the medical doctor, I have to meet with a nutritionist. I've had to log my eating for four days into a form that I will present and go over with her so that we can make an eating plan for me to help me lose the ten pounds (or more, hopefully) before surgery. Lately, too, I've been wondering which size band the surgeon might recommend for me. I wonder how they choose which size to put into a person? I know that BIDMC uses different sizes for different people, so I'm curious about that... -music

Hey Singing in the rain, Was your meeting over at Brigham & Women's? Wow, the 20% does sound like a lot! At 280, if I had to lose 20% before having the surgery, that would be 56 pounds for me. At BIDMC, they say that you have to lose at least 10 pounds. That seems more reasonable to expect from patients who are really starting from rock bottom. While I do agree that being a part of their weight loss program can help you reach, if not exceed, your goals, I want to be sure that I'm involved in a program that sets small, manageable goals that help me feel like I'm making significant progress. (and that's just my two cents on that subject, lol.) These days, I'm celebrating, I have logged my food intake for the last five days (small goal #1 met :thumbup:) and I've also started a journal. I've noticed how much of my thought process is so centered around how I feel physically. While others are focused outward, on life, or on the next social engagement, I spend so much time mapping out events based on my physical pain. For instance, the walk from my house to the bus takes so much energy. Or, the pain in my ankles at the end of the night. Deciding where to sleep to minimize my back pain (the couch wins every time, even though I have a brand new bed. aaargh!) On Tuesday, I go to BIDMC to get an echocardiogram, meet the medical doctor, and the nutritionist. I've been looking for scar pictures from people. I'm concerned about the healing process after surgery, since it doesn't look like I'll have much down time, unless I postpone the surgery until the summer time, which I just can't bear to do. So, those are some of the things on my mind. How about you? Did attending that info session give you any kind of thoughts on the pros and cons of the surgery? -music

I agree, I've noticed that everyone has their own set of challenges in the whole "band experience". But, overall the response has been overwhelmingly positive. I feel really encouraged, knowing that so many people have had the same procedure done. I cannot wait to get this done, I am really excited :wink_smile:. -music

Hey Singingintherain! Wow, am I glad to run into someone who is just starting the process like me :tt2:. Welcome! I, too, have been investigating the whole idea of weight loss surgery for a year, trying not to have it. But I am so glad that I have made the decision to go ahead with it. I have been to two info sessions at BIDMC and I really enjoyed the staff and the surgeons there. I for one can't say anything about the hospital stay. But when I filled out my paperwork and went in for my first visit (labs, etc) they told me that I could request having a private room post surgery for an additional $175. I thought that was a great option, since I wasn't sure how I'd feel after surgery and whether I'd want to stay with someone else. So....just a thought for you. I plan on going to the next few info sessions. If you ever want to meet up and talk, pm me here. I'd love to connect with someone who is also at the beginning stages of this process. Best of luck to you! -music